Disclaimer: I did not spend three days in Winter Park. I spent a day and three quarters awake, or almost two days, or something like that. I wedged my visit in amongst other travel obligations so I didn’t quite have time to see all there was to see, but what I did see, I liked […]

GearGals is all about gear that’s been designed and made for female outdoor adventurists. Technically, the Bike Bag Dude doesn’t have a female-specific range; instead, the Bike Bag Dude selects, designs and sews frame bag setups to meet customers’ needs and to fit the geometry of their bike. So my Bike Bag Dude Frame Bag […]

The Bike Bag Dude Handlebar Roll and Sling is a simple concept – think ‘hotdog-like bag for backcountry mountain biking’ and you’re halfway there. The Roll (the ‘corn dog’) is a tube of tough, waterproof fabric, with Velcro-sealing roll-top closures at each end. To mount the Roll to your bike you wrap the Velcro straps of the Sling (that’s the […]

New Zealand direct-to-consumer cycling clothing company Ground Effect’s Tantrums riding shorts are a force to be reckoned with. Finding good riding shorts is everything. If you’re out on the mountain bike, you want something that is comfy, tough enough to cope with the punishment the trail hands out, and does not impede on your pedal stroke. […]

Online cycling clothing company Ground Effect’s Zest riding top is a beauty. Short sleeves, a long, long front zip, deep pockets and a snug cut: this formula’s an old favourite, and it’s one that works. It is such a relief to find some women-specific mountain bike clothing that does not include butterflies, flutter-bys, flippant swirling scrolls […]

Riding your bike is all about connection. On a good day, you’ll feel at one with the bike. You’ll feel every bump and curve of the trail through the wheels and frame. The ground you are riding over will feel as close as the wind that’s whistling past your ears. You and the bike will […]

With a big crew and a trail network that’s about to explode, things are on the up and up for mountain biking in Alice Springs in Central Australia. Check out Australia-based Geargal Nic’s take on the local kid-mountain bikers’ riding scene, the Dusty Demons – ‘Two Dusty Demons’. Two Dusty Demons A Silent Partner Production Riders: Mitchell […]

I’m five foot three inches tall and I wear size small clothing – a women’s small, that is. Judging by the contents of the sales sections of most outdoor clothing shops and websites, that’s a pretty popular size. Yep, I’m a slimly-built woman of moderate height. I’m super-average, and I’m everywhere. You will have seen […]

Spring is in the air! The temperatures are mostly above freezing, the snow is melting, and the bike paths are kinda clear. The trails are soft and slushy; snow bike season is over. Time to put away the big tires and get out the full suspension mountain bike. Or…is it? I dragged my 29er into […]